PARTING SHOT?

A MIRS post in mid-May alleging that Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson would be willing to step down early if the Democrats on the board of commissioners promise to keep the executive's GOP appointees on the job just long enough to secure their full retirement benefits may be all wet, according to both Democrats and Republicans around the Oakland County water cooler – one, because those executive appointees are all in a defined contribution system, so there's no vesting needed; and two, because Patterson isn't planning on going anywhere. Patterson, who announced he is battling pancreatic cancer, is going through rounds of chemotherapy, which those in the executive office acknowledge is hard on him, but is producing good results. “We think the MIRS piece was planted,” said one Oakland County employee. While word is that both country treasurer Andy Meisner and board chair Dave Woodward want the appointment as executive if the opening arises, Meisner publicly disavows that. “I'm not actively seeking an appointment,” he said. “A lot of the death watch stuff is distasteful. It's not worthy of the respect someone in that office deserves.”